Replace Harddrive HP Notebook 15-af165sa(Enegy Star)

[WonderingMan]

I need to replace the harddrive in this laptop. I can't seem to find any instructions for this model.

I can remove the outside screws,battery and optical drive without issue, but the back of the laptop appears to still be connected somehow and I can't gain access to the harddrive.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you. 

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Below is the link to the service manual, which should help you open the bottom cover...

HP Notebook PC (AMD)HP 255 G4 Notebook PC Maintenance and Service Guide

Here is a video also...

HP 255 G4 disassembly: How to open and change memory, hard disk and thermal paste - YouTube

If you haven't bought a replacement drive yet, I recommend that you replace the 2.5" mechanical hard drive with a better performing 2.5" solid state drive (SSD).

[WonderingMan]

Thank you, that was most helpful and I now have the drive out without problem. I haven't actually brought the new drive yet, so I need a 2.5" SSD drive. Is there anything else I need to know to search for compatible drive? And thanks again for your  advice  so far.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

If you can live with 500 GB of drive space, this would be the best performing SSD for the price, IMHO.

Western Digital WDS500G2B0A WD Blue 3D NAND Internal SSD 2.5 Inch SATA, 500 GB: Amazon.co.uk: Comput...

[WonderingMan]

Thanks, I actually opted for the 1 TB version.  I've  put it in ok. But I just assumed that I would be able to boot up to the recovery drive and reinstall the operating  system from there, but there doesn't seem to be any option.

Do I have to put the old drive back in, create a hp recovery disk and then put the new drive back?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Hard drives don't come with operating systems on them.

I recommend you use another Windows PC running W7 64 bit or newer and use the Media creation tool to create a bootable USB installation flash drive.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

Boot from the flash drive and install W10.

After W10 has completed installing, you can install the drivers and available software from your notebook's support page.

HP Notebook - 15-af165sa (ENERGY STAR) Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Customer Support

[WonderingMan]

Thank you, I'm now typing from my laptop with its new drive. I did know that hard drives don't come with operating systems, but thought that the recovery section(presumably on its own drive), was there to reinstall windows from.

Anyway thanks again.  

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.